


More To What Meets The Eye

by Little_High_Little_Low



Category: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
Genre: F/M, Millard Nullings Love interests, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Freeform, Normals, Original Characters - Freeform, Peculiar Characters, Peculiars - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-27 23:12:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17171270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_High_Little_Low/pseuds/Little_High_Little_Low
Summary: It's been 7 years since Jacob Portman saved the world and 6 months since he proposed to the love of his life, Emma Bloom. Now,  everything's seemingly perfect in everyone's life except Mr. Millard Nullings.Millard Nullings is many things- Chivalrous, smart, kind and handsome (or so he claims), but the one thing he's not is what matters most. You see, well actually you don't, because Millard Nullings is invisible. He'd always believed that his peculiarity was what was holding him back from living life to the fullest. Only later did he learn that 'Peculiarness wasn't a deficiency, but an abundance.'Rose Macauley is a peculiar with a complicated history. She has spent her entire life traveling. From time-loop to time-loop, meeting peculiars of all powers, absurdity, and nationalities. She's never had time for herself until she decides to take a break from her busy life, in the recently founded peculiar city of Zyberham.But there's trouble brewing and with everyone tired of fighting for a world that never loved them, Millard and Rose are the only ones willing to dive head-first into an adventure that's been long overdue.





	More To What Meets The Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Millard Nullings meets the captivating Rose Macaulay at Jacob and Emma's wedding. Within their first few minutes as acquaintances, they share a dance, Millard gets called a damsel and Rose gets her toes practically crushed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYOOOOO 
> 
> So... I'm open to suggestions. Feel free to give me tips and advice and your opinions on my writing. Again, this is not something I've done before so there are many flaws.
> 
> Thanks for reading this!!! :)
> 
> UPDATE :  
> ATTENTION ALL READERS!!!! : THIS STORY/ CHAPTER HAS BEEN HEAVILY EDITED. SO, IF YOU'VE READ THIS BEFORE AND NOTICE A BUNCH OF CHANGES, IT'S BECAUSE I DECIDED TO TAKE THE STORY IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

** CHAPTER ONE **

_Millard Nullings_

The newlywed had just hit the dance floor when the band began playing the cheesiest wedding instrumental of all time. While Emma Bloom-Portman lay her head on her husband, Jacob Portman’s shoulder, Enoch O’Conner finally asked Bronwyn Bruntley to dance with him after the two spent the entire event awkwardly staring at each other. Horace Sumnusson was dancing with Olive Elephanta, gushing over how well her gown, which he had designed from scratch. Hugh Apiston and Claire Densmore sat at the table upfront, claiming they had better things to do than dance.

Sitting at a table apart from all the peculiars, Maryann and Franklin Portman, both red with anger having just had an argument, were waiting eagerly for their respective lawyers to call.

Making silent observations of everything happening around him, Millard Nullings was bored. Millard was expecting this night to be more eventful. Not that Jacob and Emma getting married is not something of significance, it’s just that everyone was expecting it.

For the past few years, Millard had spent every waking hour researching for and writing his 4th book. But now that it’s about to hit the shelves next week, his schedule is empty. And nothing gets on Millard’s nerves, like having nothing to do. Even worse, Peculiar Paper has been trying to get an exclusive interview with him for the past month with no avail and have opted desperate measures. Their journalists have followed him around the city, shadowing him.

And just as Millard was about to head to the buffet table to treat his grumbling stomach, he spotted a man approaching. The man was wearing an orange plaid suit that would make Horace cry in despair, however, it was the yellow legal pad in his breast pocket that gave the reporter away.

To escape the stranger who was now flashing a very toothy grin, Millard was tempted to strip off his clothes and run away. But quickly remembered he’d promised Bronwyn there would be no nudity today, at least not on his part. So, in an act of desperation, Millard looked across the dancefloor and his eyes met a pair of striking dark blue ones. The owner of the eyes was looking at Millard with a raised eyebrow and a warm smile. An odd combination, but it’s what encouraged him to do what he did next.

Just as the reporter was about to introduce himself, Millard swiftly maneuvered through the crowd and made his way to the woman who upon noticing the orange abomination at Millard’s tail, was waving at him enthusiastically and beckoning him over.

Getting closer, Millard began noticing things that he hadn’t observed before.

 The woman was wearing a pantsuit. More specifically, crimson pantsuit to a black-tie themed wedding. Her shoulder-length auburn hair didn’t provide but contrast either. It was as though she’d arrived with a theme of her own in mind. She wasn’t wearing any visible makeup either, a bold choice to make when you know you’ll be surrounded by people dressed their fanciest. Still, she looked young, with not a wrinkle in sight.

 When Millard’s eyes met hers again, he was taken aback. Her eyes were a shade somewhere between indigo and violet with tiny silver-ish specks in the midst.

Millard stopped once there was a reasonable distance between them to maintain a friendly conversation. Without waiting for things to become awkward the women extended her hand formally, “Good evening, Sir.”

Millard shook her hand, “And to you, Miss…?”

 “-Macauley, but you may call me Rose,” The woman introduced herself with a smile.

“Rose…,” Millard drawled as if tasting the sound of her name. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He returned the smile, only to remember that no one has seen his smile for over two decades. At the thought, his face falls, and for a moment he’s glad that she can’t see the sadness in his eyes.

Rose, noticing the shift in his mood, quickly decided to change the subject. “Are you here for the Groom or the Bride?”

Before Millard could reply, he noticed a one-eyed peculiar with a cameraman making his way towards him and Rose. In a swift motion, he pulled the two of them to the dance floor and placed his hands softly onto her waist.

“Oh, sure! I’d love to dance!” Rose said sarcastically while placing her hands on his shoulders.

Millard shook his head and let out a chuckle. “I’m sorry, it’s just- I absolutely cannot tolerate any more reporters. Also, thank you for saving me from that Jack- o- lantern back there.”

“Don’t sweat it! I love saving damsels in distress,” said Rose with a sly grin.

“I am _not_ a damsel!” Millard retorted defensively.

“That’s what all damsels say.” Rose shrugged.

Flustered at the idea of being a damsel in need of saving, Millard answered her question, “I’m a close friend of both Jacob and Emma. We have a very interesting history.” Trying to be vague and ignoring Rose’s questioning eyes, “What about you? I don’t think we’ve ever met.”

“Well, yes, we’ve never met. I suppose I’m here for the bride, we sort of have a very interesting history,” replied Rose raising her eyebrows challengingly.

With a defeated sigh Millard said, “You’re not going to tell me, are you...?"

“Maybe someday, Mr. Nullings. But not today. Besides, it’s not my story to tell.” Rose replied, her playful tone replaced with a more serious one.

The song changed and the crowd thinned as the band picked a more upbeat song. Millard took his hands off Rose’s waist and increased the distance between them, unknowingly the two had become quite close to each other, with only a few centimeters between them.

Millard took both of Rose’s hands in his, and the two continued dancing. As they danced in silence, Millard’s body stiffened, and he was clearly upset about not knowing something. Taking note of this Rose tried to strike a conversation again,

“Aren’t you going to ask me how I know your name?” She asked him with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m assuming you’ve either read one of my books or you might’ve heard about me from Emma…” Millard answered, satisfied that both those instances were in his favor.

“Both actually,” Rose said matter-of-factly. “A lot of your published work on harnessing one’s peculiarity and accepting it, helped me get control over my own peculiarity.”

The song was speeding up, as the two began dancing faster and started stepping on toes and chorused ‘ow!’s and ‘sorry’s.

“Your peculiar, are you?” It was Millard’s turn to raise his eyebrow, and he took a step in the wrong direction and making the two of them stumble a little.

“I most certainly aaa- ooow!” Rose yelped mid-sentence as Millard stepped on her toe again.  “Can we just sit down for a while?” She suggested with a sigh.

“I would love that. And sorry again.” Millard walked the two to an empty table at the back. Millard and Rose sat next to each other in silence until Millard decided to break the ice.

“So, you said that you’re peculiar. I’m sorry if you find it rude of me to ask but, what is your peculiarity?” Millard asked.

Sheepishly Rose said, “Why don’t I show you?”

And before Millard could agree to the proposition, she was gone.

It was a sight to behold. First, the silverish specks in her eyes seemed to glow, and then, all the redness of her pantsuit dissolved into thin air and the last thing Millard saw was her smirk dissolving into nothing.

Millard found himself in awe as the seat next to him emptied in seconds. He shot up and frantically looked around to see where she had gone. But she was nowhere to be seen.

Millard found this remarkable. And at that moment a child-like curiosity sparked in him, and he began to think of every peculiarity that he’s ever studied and how none resembled anything like what she’d just done.

He needed to find her.

When he had searched the entire auditorium for her, with no success, he decided to look for her outside in the garden.

Once outside the gates, the cold night breeze sent shivers up his spine. He was about to step back inside when he heard a familiar voice.

“About time you found me, Mr. Nullings.” Rose moved into the light of a lamppost. Her expression smug and her eyes twinkling.

Only now did Millard notice how beautiful she was. Her short auburn hair disheveled; gently brushing her shoulders; rough at the bottom as if she had cut it herself. The light bounced off her pale skin, making her look like she was glowing. And her eyes! Oh! Millard was lost in them. He had never seen eyes so captivating.

Slowly she made her way towards him, her grin mirroring his.

And just when she was close enough to touch; the awestricken man knew that he was in for an adventure.

 

“You can call me Millard.”

 

.....

 

Walking home had never been more disappointing. Millard had spent the rest of the evening outside conversing merrily with the captivating Rose Macauley.

Rose had talked on and on about all the time-loops she’s visited and all the peculiars she’d met while Millard brought out his leather-bound journal and made notes of unique peculiars. In turn, Millard told Rose about his discoveries and adventures in the peculiar world while, quite to Millard’s surprise, Rose write down bullet points in a journal of her own. The two debated over peculiar theories and under-credited researchers.

Millard desperately wanted to ask Rose about her peculiarity, but to many people, it was considered invasive and he didn’t want to risk how well the two had hit off. He kept sneaking glances at her when she pointed at the stars and told him stories about them. She was beautiful. He hadn’t noticed before, but she had very faint freckles splattered over her nose, with the lack of any makeup he noticed the dark circles below her eyes. Again, he wanted to ask her why she left herself so vulnerable to the world, but he refrained.

The night finally came to an end when a very drunk woman walked out of the reception hall and demanded that Rose drive her home.

And so, we come back to our invisible man, who couldn’t get the image of the disappearing woman out of his head.

She was different for sure. Unlike anyone Millard had met, Rose listened to him speak and always had something to say for herself. She was very outspoken and surprisingly intelligent. When she didn't agree with something Millard said, she pursed her lips, turned away and changed the subject. 

Millard kept thinking about her eyes. He meant to look up their characteristics to understand them but after looking into them for hours he decided to let the mystery be. He thought of the way she brushed her hair out of her face and how it always managed to find a way back. He thought of the way her hands moved all over the place as she talked animatedly.

And finally, with the ghost of her smile haunting his mind, Millard laid down in his bed and fell asleep. Never before had he gone to bed wearing a suit.

 

 


End file.
